A Taste Of Despair (The Humal Sequence) Read Online Free PDF

comprehend. That’s why we concocted a cover story that leaves out the alien part, and the location of the Humal world.”
    Rames snorted. “You know that they’ll be an inquiry, right? You don’t just turn up with a ship lost for fifty years and a sob-story and expect to walk away. You and your companions will be grilled seven ways from Sunday. Chances are some of them will crack under examination.”
    “I know. But what else can we do? We start babbling about aliens and one of two things will happen. Firstly, if Walsh didn’t make it back, some fool is going to send a ship out to that world and dig up the rest of his alien compatriots. Secondly, if he did get back here already, then it’s going to tip him off that I got back and force him to act. At the moment, if he’s here, he’s none the wiser.”
    “The element of surprise, huh?” Rames smiled.
    “Something like that.”
    The Captain sighed. “Well, sorry to disappoint you. But your cover is already blown. We took images and ran them through the databases. You know that all military ships constantly transmit data back to their home-base. That query, along with your images, is already known to Tantalus Station, our base of operations. By the end of the day, it’ll be burst-transited to the major naval base at Aurica system. From there to HQ back at Sol. Then it will filter back out to all the other systems. In about four days time there isn’t going to be a system that doesn’t know you’re back in human space.”
    Hamilton thought for a few moments. “Well then. I guess we need a new plan.”
    “What’s this ‘we’ business?” Rames scowled. “I got involved in your schemes in the past and look where it got me!”
    Hamilton sighed. “I suppose you’re right. I have no right to drag you into this again.”
    “It’s not that I don’t want to help.” Rames added. “But something like this…I have a feeling you’d be better off just telling the truth. You know what the military are like. They’ll slap a quarantine on that world and that’ll stop any do-gooders, or aliens, from going there.”
    “Walsh isn’t like us. To him such a blockade would just slow him down. He was always several steps ahead of me on the Hope’s Breath.” Hamilton frowned.
    “Well, either way, I think you should let the authorities deal with this. I ..”
    Rames was interrupted as Anderton returned, bearing a transparent data pane, through which they could vaguely make out words.
    “You need to see this, Captain.” He said. “It just came in from Tantalus Station, marked alpha priority.”
    Rames and Hamilton raised their respective eyebrows. Alpha priority was the military’s top message priority. It basically meant ‘stop whatever you’re doing and do what the message says at once.’
    Rames reached out and took the pane, reading the message envelope on the screen. It clearly stated it was for his eyes only. Despite that, he remained seated next to Hamilton and thumbed the ident box displayed. It took some moments before the message accepted him as its rightful recipient and displayed the message.
    Rames read it, a deepening frown registering on his face.
    “Bad news?” Hamilton fished, cautiously. He exchanged a glance with Anderton, the medic, who had remained after delivering the data pane. The medic glanced at his captain, then nodded slightly to Hamilton. The man knew his captain’s facial expressions well.
    Rames let out a loud breath. “Not bad, so much as puzzling. Apparently, I’m supposed to put a caretaker crew on the Morebaeus and take her and the Ulysses in tandem back to Tantalus Station. Once there I’m to dock the ships and remain aboard until arrangements are made to transfer all personnel to Q-section.”
    “Q-section?” Hamilton frowned.
    “Quarantine section.” Anderton offered. “All stations have them now, in case of plague or disease etc.”
    “That’s not a plague ship you were flying on, is it?” Rames looked